Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-16
A COTTAGE BY THE SEA.

A COTTAGE BY THE SEA.
Mr.. Landon. ex-cotton spinner, had
good reason to hate the army. His
eldest daughter had married a gallant
young Hussar, who quickly spent her
fortune at Newmarket, and thereafter
vanished from the worlds ken, leav-
ing her neither widow nor maid. His
eldest soma great scamp, as the sons
OF steady business men often are
entered dragoon regiment, got into
some discreditable row, was tried by
court-martial, dismissed the service,
and shot himself through the head the
next day. His second daughter,
Clara, was cruelty Tilted by guards
man, and died at Bournemouth year
subsequently of broken heart. A
second son-at Woolwich-was blown
to pieces by shell which exploded in
his hands while he was examining it;
and last, but not least, his own re-
manning child, his eve lamb, Lily,
evinced a remarkable prepossession
ior the military. The Grand Duchess
Of Gerolstein was not fonder of soldiers
than Lily Landon; but then she only
saw them at a distance, never at close
quarters. This idiosyncrasy was made
all the more distressing to Mr.. Lam
don from the circumstance of his re-
siding in garrison town, which is a
seaport as well. He could not pre-
vent Lily seeing soldiers and officers
going about their duties, nor could he
abolish the regimental band which
always made Miss Lily's blue eyes
sparkle and caused her unconsciously
10 assume something OF the audacious
demeanor of a viudndiere. All he
could do was to engage distant
relative as a duenna, but under a
homely exterior this old lady con-
cealed most romantic disposition,
with a singular belief in what is now
derided as chivalry. The Barsetshire
Regiment, alias the Royal Bombard-
iers, was quartered at Barmouth at
this time, and an exceedingly lively
mess was one of the distinctions OF the
regiment, two-thirds of the members
being young Irishmen. 1t was cur
rently reported that these young gem
Hemen, Of good family, bat slender
means, were the plague OF the
Adiutant- Generals life, SO frequently
were the complaints and grievances
that arose from their racing, rowing,
rat-hunting and other proclivities,
and that the Commander-:n-Chi
himself had threatened to honor the
two worst scapegraces of them allwith
the distinction of court-martial.
The two in questionable head and
front of all this offending-however,
took life riotously, and were, indeed,
onithe high road to Avernus, when
the following incidents occurred: They
were close allies, these two; SO much
80 that they went by the name OF
Castor and Pollux in the regiment
nicknames that will do just as well as
their real ones, which are those of a
noble Irish family.
lLieutenants Castor and Pollux, then,
were walking down the High street,
arm in arm, with very large cigars in
their mouths, and very small terriers
ut their heels, when Nick, alias Castor,
felt an electric thrill, so to say, from
the arm of his pail, Dick (Pollux),
and from previous experiences at
once concluded that there was a pretty
girl around. So there was-and a
benign old lady, wreathed in smiles,
also.
''By George what an exceedingly
pretty GIRL" quoth Nick; and Looks
very solvent" said more practical
Dick.
''Let us follow them and find out
where they live."
The two ladies', who had evidently
been making some trifiing purchases
in town, had turned their faces in the
direction of the suburbs, and were
now walking along the seashore, the
Younger with white fluffy poodle
dog in her arms. The officers fol-
lowed at a respectful distance, but
the bull terriers were i'll earnest In
their endeavors to make the acquaint-
ance of the fluffy poodle. Perhaps
this accounted for one of the ladies'
knowledge of what was going on
behind them.
'Iet us ask them to call off their
dog" said Lily; 81 am sure they
are officers OF the Bombardiers.
"Not for the world, not for the
world, my dear" replied the duenna !;
E'not that l have any doubt about
their gallantry; the chivalrous sense
of honor OF these brave men who die
for their country, and for England,
home and beauty; but think what
your papa would say, with his singular
antipathy to warriors. Oh, no, never
let us hurry on or they may, perhaps,
be too assiduous in their devoirs."
They did hurry on to the haven of a
pretty biiou cottage in red brick and
stone gables, standing among laurels
in its own grounds, and stones
throw from the sea, into which there
jutted boat pier, with boat at the
end of it. The two ladies disappeared
through the green gate, but Castor
managed to catch a Parthian 81 tnce
of a pair of very bright sapphire blue
eyes; while Pollux was saluted with a
series of barks, the poodle, who, now
believing himself at home and safe
from terriers, struggled violently in
mistress arms, in the vain pre-
tense of desiring to annihilate them
both at once. :,
"a doosid neat little crib, observed
PnlliIx. staring at the bow windows
nJust the kind Of little box one would
like to dawdle away summer in, II
one had e3OOO year, instead OF only
/ 900 farthings."
eyes. and with those two eyes to
rival the billows," mused Castor, who
wass sentimental, comparatively
umnayriu0